The Alzheimer's Action Plan : The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems

Is it really Alzheimer's? How to find out and intervene early to maintain the highest quality of life

"Most of us will either get Alzheimer's or care for a loved one who has. This action plan can empower you to make a difference."---Mehmet C. Oz, M.D.

What would you do if your mother was having memory problems?

Alzheimer's is a disease affecting more than five million Americans, with a new diagnosis being made every seventy-two seconds. Millions more are worried or at risk due to mild memory loss or family history. Although experts agree that early diagnosis and treatment are essential, many people with memory loss and their families---and even their doctors---don't know where to turn for authoritative, state-of-the-art advice and answers to all of their questions.

Now, combining the insights of a world-class physician and an award-winning social worker, this groundbreaking book tells you everything you need to know, including:

· The best tests to determine if this is---or is not---Alzheimer's disease
· The most (and least) effective medical treatments
· Coping with behavioral and emotional changes through the early and middle stages
· Gaining access to the latest clinical trials
· Understanding the future of Alzheimer's

Clear, compassionate, and empowering, The Alzheimer's Action Plan is the first book that anyone dealing with mild memory loss or early Alzheimer's must-read in order to preserve the highest possible quality of life for as long as possible.

P. MURALI DORAISWAMY, M.D., a renowned expert on brain health, is head of Duke University's Biological Psychiatry division and a Senior Fellow at Duke's Center for the Study of Aging. As Director of Psychiatry Clinical Trials at Duke for nearly ten years, he received numerous awards for his work as an investigator on landmark studies. The author of more than two hundred scientific articles, Dr. Doraiswamy has served as an adviser to the Food and Drug Administration, the American Federation for Aging Research, the National Institutes of Aging, and the World Health Organization, as well as leading Alzheimer's medical journals and advocacy groups. His research has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and The New York Times, and on CBS News, The Today Show, NPR, and the BBC.

LISA P. GWYTHER, M.S.W., Associate Professor in the Duke University Medical Center Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, is a social worker with thirty-eight years' experience in aging and Alzheimer's services. She is the education director of the Bryan Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Duke and the current president of the Gerontological Society of America. The author of 130 scientific and lay publications, she was honored in 1998 as one of the founders of the national Alzheimer's Association, and has won national and state awards for documentaries on Alzheimer's disease and creativity in Alzheimer's programming. The mother of two and grandmother of four, she resides in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with her husband of forty years.

TINA ADLER, a freelance writer and editor specializing in health and science, lives in Cabin John, Maryland. She cared for two family members who had Alzheimer's disease.